Artificial leather.



UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIUE.

JOHN J. C. SMITH, 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.

Ho Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 8, 1910, Applicationfiled June 21, 1909. Serial No. 503,486. I

To all whom 'it-ma'y concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN J. C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Passaic, county of Passaic, and State of N ew' J ersey, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Leather; and in orderthat those skilled in the art may understand and practice my invention Igive the following specification.

My invention relates to the production of a material to be used as asubstitute for leather, and its object is to obtain a product resemblingleather not only in appearance and as regards texture, surface or grain,but also having the pliability, softness, 'feel, strength and tenacityand other characteristics of good leather, and which may be employedinstead of natural leather, particularly such varieties as sealskin,walrus, alligator skin and the like, and at much less expense.

In order to carry out my invention, I employ as a basis thereof anysheet fibrous material, whether woven or otherwise formed, preferably ofa loose texture, and of any desired thickness, having in mind the kindof product to be produced. For general purposes I prefer to use, forthis material, loosely woven cotton cloth such as is generally known ascotton flannel or padding cloth. Several grades of such material may befound upon the market. The cloth or fibrous material should be of thecolor of the leather substitute intended to be produced. The first stepis to prepare the binding material to unite the fibers of the sheet orfabric material into a cohesive material. For this binding material Iemploy a composition consisting of glue, glycerin and saccharinematerial. For the saccharine material I prefer to use molasses. Theproportions of the ingredients which I prefer to use are as follows:good glue, two parts; glycerin, one part; and molasses, one part, byweight. In preparing the compositlon the glue should be thoroughlymelted and the other ingredients then added thereto .and intermixedtherewith by thorough stirring. This binding material, when cooled,solidifies and retains its properties and consistency indefinitely. Asufficient quantity may be made up to form a stock to be used asrequired.

- As an example of carrying out my invention, I give the following: Itake a sheet of fibrous material, such as described, say of one squareyard in area, and of the thickness of an average sheep skin. Thisfibrous sheet is saturated with the glue composition. To effect this Iprovide a sheet iron'pan somewhat larger than the sheet to be treated. Itake from six to eight pounds of the glue composition and melt the same,thereby forming a heavy thick fluid mass. I dilute I this with hot waterto the-consistency of a thm cream. The fiat iron pan, with the dilutedglue composition therein, is placed on a steam heated table and isbrought to a temperature of about 200 F. I immerse the fibrous sheet inthe glue composition and well saturate and impregnate the same therein.When the fibrous sheet'has been .Well saturated it is removed quicklyfrom the bath so as not to lose its temperature and while hot is pressedbetween suitable rollers under a moderate pressure sufficient to pressout the superfluous composition, leaving enough still in the fibroussheet to well cover every thread and fiber therewith. After the fibroussheet has been saturated'as described, it is hung up to dry and to evaorate all the water present in the compoun This will take about twodays, more or less, according to circumstances.

When the sheet is dry it has the appearance, softness, pliability andstrength of tanned animal skin, except as regards the socalled grain orcharacteristic surface of the fur or hair side of a tanned skin. It iswell known that the-tanned skins or hides of different animals each havetheir distinct design, appearance or grain, "and this is especlally soof the higher priced leathers such as sealskin, walrus, morocco,alligator and the like. In order to obtain the grain or appearance ofthe natural skins or leather,

I proceed as follows: I take a quantity of the above described gluecomposition, melt the scribed heated mixture and even the same thereon bmeans of a straight edge or bar,

so as to orm athin layer of the hot comosition on the sheet. Thethickness of this ayer may be from one sixty-fourth to one sixteenth ofan inch, as desired. Forthe must be very thin, while for the coarser orhigher figured grains such as walrus or alligator a thicker layer willbe required. In some cases for a fine grained leather, such as youngseal, morocco, sheep skin or the like, this extra layer of compositionwill not be has been impregnated with the composition in the mannerfirst described, and before the same has been allowed to dry. Theprepared sheet with the layer spread on one side thereof is now ready toreceive the impression of the grain. This I accomplish in the followingmanner. I obtain an electrotype plate whichis a true negative copy ofthe natural leather which it is desired to imitate, and apply to suchelectrotype plate a film or coating of oil, the plate being heated toabout 212 F. on a steam table. I then place the sheet coated with thelayer of composition on this pattern plate. Then 1 place a smooth metalsheet at the back of the prepared fibrous sheet and place the wholetogether under a strong press and subject the same to a pressure ofabout twenty pounds per square inch. When the metal sheets are cool, thewhole is removed from the press and the sheet separated from the patternplate. It will be found that the sheet has received an accurate andperfect impression and reproduction of the grain of the natural leatheron one side and is smooth and even on the other side.

The next operation is to render the material insoluble and impervious tothe action of Water and other fluids. This is done in the followingmanner. I take one pound of formalin and dilute the same withtwenty-five pounds of water. With this mixture I saturate sheets ofheavy cotton cloth of approximately the size of my prepared sheets. Ithen spread a sheet of the saturated cotton cloth on a sheet of myartificial leather, then spread another artificial leather sheetthereupon, then place on this another saturated sheet of cotton cloth,and so on, until a stack of eight or ten sheets is formed, theartificial leather sheets alternating with the saturated sheets ofcotton cloth. The whole is then pressed under a suitable press andsubjected to a moderate pressure, say of about two ounds per squareinch. The pressure shou d be applied to the sheets slightly warmed butnot above a temperature of 90 F. By this means the wet or saturatedsheets of cotton cloth are pressed into close contact at all points withthe artificial leather sheets. The sheets are allowed to remain underpressure for about ten minutes, and after this treatment the artificialleather sheets will be found im ervious and insoluble to water or otherfluids, and also unalfected by heat-to a temperature of 200 F. Astronger solution of formalin and water than what is given above shouldnot be employed, nor the time during which the sheets are sub ected tothe action of the formalin be longer than as above stated,

1 otherwise the artificial leather loses in plirequired, but the sheetsas first described may be pressed upon the pattern plate, as hereinafterdescribed, after the fibrous sheet 2 ability and softness. It will beunderstood that the composition with which the fibrous sheets aresaturated and also which is spread thereupon as above described, shouldbe colored or dyed to resemble the particular kind of leather to beimitated.

lVhile I have specified formalin as the material preferably to be usedfor the purpose of rendering the prepared sheets insoluble, othermaterials, such as tannin or tannic acid, alum, chromic acid or thelike, may be employed for the purpose; but the treatment with suchagents should be such as not to impair the softness and pliability ofthe product and this result, so far as I am aware, may be secured withgreater facility by the use of formalin in the manner described.

By the above described invention 1 am enabled to produce a fabric notreadily distinguishable in appearance, texture, pliability, strength andtenacity from the natural leather. and which retains its pliability andsoftness indefinitely.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An artificial leather product compris ing a fibrous sheet impregnatedwith a composition of glue, glycerin and molasses, said productinsoluble in Water and other liquids, and having the softness,pliability and appearance of natural leather.

2. An artificial leather product comprising a fibrous sheet impregnatedwith a glue, glycerin and molasses composition, a superposed layer ofsaid composition and a filler, said layer having on its surface areproduction of the natural marking or grain of a given leather or hide,said product insoluble in water and other liquids, and having thesoftness, pliability and appearance of natural leather.

8. The process of producing an artificial leather which consists insaturating fibrous sheet material with. a heated composition of glue,glycerin, molasses and Water, drying said saturated sheet and treatingthe dried sheet with diluted formalin.

4. The process of producing an artificial leather which consists insaturating fibrous sheet material with a composition of glue, glycerin,molasses and water, subjecting the saturated sheet to ressure,evaporating the water from said s eet, and subjecting said sheet to agradual application of dilute formalin.

5. The process of producing artificial leather which consists insaturating fibrous sheet material in a composition of glue, glycceaseserin, molasses and water, evaporating the water, superposing upon saidsheet a composition of glue, glycerin, molasses and a fibrous filler,impressing said layer with a reproduction of the grain of any leather,and treating the product with dilute formalin.

6. The process of producing artificial leather which consists insaturating fibrous material with a. composition of glue, glycerin,molasses and water, evaporating the water, applying to said product anabsorbent sheet saturated with diluted formalin, and afterward removingthe absorbent sheet.

7. The process of producing artificial leather which consists insaturating fibrous sheet material with a composition of glue, glycerin,molasses and water, evaporating the water, impressing upon said sheet areproduction of the grain or marl iing of naturalleather, and applyingto said sheet a solution of dilute formalin.

8. The rocess of producing artificial leather whlch consists insaturating fibrous sheet-material with a composition of glue,

\ glycerin, molasess and water, evaporating the water, superposin uponsaid sheet a composition of glue, g ycerin, molasses and. wood fiber,impressing upon said layer a reproduction of the grain of naturalleather,

applying to the product an absorbent sheet saturated with dilutedformalin, subjecting said sheets to pressure and removmg the absorbentsheet.

JOHN ac. SMITH.

"Witnesses HENRY C. JVORKMAN, LAURA E. MONK.

